Olive Branch
by Lola-2011
Summary: Maybe Chief Strauss wasn't as icy as everyone thought. Or maybe she always had a soft spot for Agent Hotchner. Part 1 of Lions and Lambs Series.


Olive Branch

Disclaimer: Not mine!

It had been a veiled threat. But a threat nonetheless. And these days Aaron Hotchner took any threat, weighted or not, very seriously. He knew it was against regulations to bring your child into a secure FBI building but he just didn't care. Jack's safety outweighed any and everything else.

He wasn't surprised when he glanced up from his desk to see the Section Chief standing in his doorway. He had been expecting her for a while. "Ma'am." he immediately got up from his chair. "I know that..."

"Relax, Agent Hotchner." she took a step inside his office. "I'm not here to reprimand you." She knew that her reputation proceeded her. That's what made her good at her job. She demanded to be taken seriously. Demanded that respect. And in return she gave the BAU her all. Even if they didn't know how many times she had gone to bat for them. How many more times she would step up to the plate. And never utter a word to any of them.

His eyebrow arched subconsciously. "You're not?"

Strauss closed the door behind her. "Absolutely not." she assured him. "I have children too, you know. I would do whatever necessary to keep them safe."

"Even if it meant bending the rules?"

She nodded. "Even if it meant shattering them."

Hotchner found himself relaxing. Maybe even smiling a little at her sentiment. "Having Jack here won't interfere with my abilities to work today."

"I'd expect not." she took a seat across from his desk.

He sank down in his seat. "Then what can I do for you, ma'am?"

"Erin." she supplied.

"Erin." he repeated.

"I'm not here as your Section Chief." she told him. "I just wanted to come see how you were doing."

He saw the concern in her eyes. They were softened a bit. Perhaps even greener than usual. "I'm getting there." he said, softly. "Having Jack around helps. He still doesn't understand everything completely."

"Maybe that's for the best."

Hotchner nodded. "I'm just taking it one day at a time."

"I know that you're still having sessions Kavanagh every week." she said of the bureau's top psychiatrist. "Is it helping?"

He shrugged. "Its not hurt." he admitted. "But it hasn't been a tremendous help, either."

"I just don't want you to feel pressured. You don't have to keep going just for the politics of things." she replied. "It has been six months." she reminded softly. "Your obligation is complete."

He simply nodded.

"If you want to go, of course, please continue." she encouraged. "If not then you can spend your Wednesday evenings taking Jack to a basketball game instead."

Glancing back at a photo of him with his son at a game, he smiled. It was time to put some normalcy back into his life. Back into their lives. "We really haven't been out since..." he trailed off.

"Then perhaps its time." she rose to her feet. "If I can do anything to help you out, please let me know."

"As the Section Chief?" a smile tugged at his lips. "Or as Erin?"

He could almost swear that she smiled. "Either." she breathed out, opening his office door. "Could you do me a favor though?" she asked, turning around to meet his gaze again.

"What's that?"

"Get out of here early today." Erin suggested. "Actually that's a direct order Agent Hotchner. Poor Jack's probably bored out of his mind."

Hotchner returned to his office after a rather leisure lunch. Having Jack with him always made time fly by and before he knew it one thirty was approaching.

"Are you having fun with Aunt Penelope?"

Jack climbed up on the sofa. "Yes, but I think I might want to just rest for a minute."

He smiled at his son. Jack never was big on nap time so if he insisted on resting he had to be worn out. "I have some paperwork to do so just make yourself comfortable." he sat down at his desk.

There was a white envelope with Hotchner etched across the front. He opened it to find a note and two basketball season passes. It simply read: Enjoy -Erin.

He looked down at the passes. Floor seats. Maybe Erin wasn't as tough as Section Chief Strauss. "Hey Jack?"

"Yeah, daddy?"

"How would you like to go to a basketball game tonight?"

"I loved it!" he as immediately in his father's lap. "We haven't been in a very long time."

"Well we're going tonight." he told him. "Maybe we can even get some pizza before the game."

"I'd like that." Jack smiled.

-Finished

A.N: In all my years of writing I've come to the conclusion that one shots are best for me. One shots that can be strung together in a series are even better. I like the idea of Hotch and Strauss and I'd like to explore more of them. Let me know what you think.


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